Indian Vegetation and Soils

Indian Vegetation and Soils

2020-04-29 00:43:47

• Indian Vegetation and Soils
  • Natural Vegetation
    • Types of Forest
      • Tropical Evergreen and Semi Evergreen Forests
      • Tropical Deciduous Forests : Rainfall b/w 70-200cm
      • Tropical Thorn Forests
      • Montane Forests
      • Littoral and Swamp Forests.
    • Forest Conservation
• Soils
  • Soil Formation
    • The Soil Forming Factors Are :
  • Classification of Soils
    • Alluvial Soils :
    • Black Soil :
    • Red and Yellow Soil :
    • Laterite Soil :
    • Arid Soils
    • Saline Soils :
    • Peaty Soil :
    • Forest Soils :
  • Soil Conservation

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Natural Vegetation

Types of Forest

Tropical Evergreen and Semi Evergreen Forests

Evergreen - warm and humid areas; Well stratified - annual precipitation of over 200cm and mean annual temp of 22°C - ex Rosewood, Mahogany, Aini, Ebony

Semi Evergreen - Mixture of moist deciduous and Evergreen - undergrowing climbers provide evergreen character - Ex cedar, hollock and kail

Tropical Deciduous Forests : Rainfall b/w 70-200cm

• Further divided into moist and dry
  • Moist Deciduous : rainfall b/w 100-200cm, ex Teak, Sal, Shisham, Hurra, Mahua, Amla
  • Dry Deciduous : rainfal b/w 70-100cm, teak tress interpersed w/ grass, ex Tendu, Palas, Amaltas etc

Tropical Thorn Forests

• rainfally less than 50cm ie semi arid areas
• plants are leafless throughout the year
• Ex Date palm, Neem, Khejri, Palas

Montane Forests

1. Northern Montane

• Him areas show succesion of vegetation from tropical to tundra
• Lower Foothills have Deciduous forests
• Succeeded by Wet Temperate type at 1000-2000 mts
• In NE and hilly areas of WB from 1500-1750 Evergreen broad leaf trees ex Oak and Chestnut are common; Pine forests are also found here
• Blue Pine and Spruce at 2,225-2048 mts; temperate grasslands also found
• Higher reaches Alpine forest and pastures found at 3000-4000 mts ex Silver Firs, Junipers, Pines, Birch, Rhododenrons found

1. Southern Montane

• found in Western Ghats, Vindhyas and Nilgiris
• Vegetation is temperate in higher reaches and Subtropical on lower ones
• Temperate forests are called Sholas in Nilgiri, Anaimalai and Palani hills
• Trees like Magnolia, Laurel, Cinchona, Wattle found

Littoral and Swamp Forests.

• 70% area under paddy cultivation
• variety of wetland habitats
• Creeks, stagnant water and tidal flows present, vegetation is salt tolerant
• Ex Mangrove

Forest Conservation

• Social Forestry : mgt and protection of forests and afforestation on barren land to bring environmental, social and rural dev
  • Urban Forestry : raising trees on public and privately owned land
  • Rural Forestry : promotion of agro and community forestry
    • Agro forestry is raising of trees, agri crops on same land
    • Community forestry aims at providing benefits ex providing jobs to landless classes in forestry
  • Farm Foresty : farmers grow trees for commercial and non commercial purposes

Doabs and Rivers -

Name	Rivers
Sindh Sagar Doab	**Indus **and Jhelum
Jech Doab	Jhelum and Chenab
Rechna Doab	Ravi and Chenab
Bari Doab	Ravi and Beas
Bist Doab	Beas and Sutlej
Raichur Doab	Krishna and Tungabhadra

Soils

2020-04-28 23:46:39

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Soil Formation

• Result of Decay and Medium of Growth is mixture of rock debris and organic materials
• Soil Science aka Pedology, soil formation/ Pedogenesis
• 3 layers are
  • Horizon A : topmost zone, where organic material is incorporated w/ mineral matter, nutrients and water
  • Horizon B : transition b/w A and C, very less organic matter
  • Horizon C : composed of loose parent material

The Soil Forming Factors Are :

• Parent material : ex size fo debris, structure, mineral and chemical composition.
• Topography
  • diff topographic features would have diff exposures to sunlight, drainage etc.
  • Soils will be thin on steep slopes, thick over flat uplands.
• Climate
  • Moisture - Low moisture/humidity leads to salt accumulation in soils -> aridity.
  • Temp - affects chemical and biological activity
• Biological activity ex action of nitrogen fixing bacteria, humus accumulation.
• Time

Classification of Soils

Alluvial Soils :

• 40% of total area of country, depositional; nature varies from sandy loam to clay.
• Are rich in potash but poor in phosphorous.
• Colour varies from light grey to ash grey.
• Khadar is new alluvium and Bhangar is older both contain calerous conc of Kankars.

Black Soil :

• aka as Regur Soil or Black Cotton soil.
• Are clayey, deep and impermeable.
• Develop deep cracks and swell when water is added called self-ploughing.
• Absorption and loss of moisture is slow but retains moisture for very long.
• rich in lime, iron, magnesia and alumina.
• also contain potash but lack ==Phosphorous, N2 and organic matter==.

Red and Yellow Soil :

• Develops on crystalline igneous rocks in areas of low rainfall.
• becomes yellow when hydrated.
• Are poor in Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Humus.
• fine grained yellow soil is fertile but coarser ones are not.

Laterite Soil :

• Develops in areas with high temp and rainfall.
• Due to intense leaching Lime and silica are leached.
• poor in organic matter, Nitrogen, Phosphate and calcium.
• Iron oxide and Potash are in excess.
• crops like Cashewnut etc is grown, not suitable for cultivation.
• used to make bricks, found in higher areas of Peninsular plateau.

Arid Soils

• Vary from Red to Brown in colour, are sandy and saline.
• Lack Moisture and humus, Nitrogen.
• Kanker layer is common here.

Saline Soils :

• also known as Usara soils.
• large proportion of Na, K and Mg.
• waterlogged and swampy areas and arid/semi-arid regions.
• Due to capillary action salt gets deposited on the top layer of fertile soils making them saline. To avoid this Gypsum is added.

Peaty Soil :

• Found in areas of heavy rainfall and high humidity.
• has high humus and organic content upto 40-50%.
• Normally heavy and black in colour.
• Sometimes be alkaline.

Forest Soils :

• loamy and silty on valley sides and coarse grained in upper slopes.
• In snow bound areas they are acidic with low humus content.
• Lower levels they are fertile.

Soil Degradation : decline in soil fertility due to erosion and misuse, degree varies from topography, wind velocity and amount of rainfall.

Soil Erosion : destruction of soil cover when far exceeds soil formation, water and air are the most powerful agents.

Soil Conservation

• Check open cultivation on slopes.
• Slopes of gradient 15-25% not be used for cultivation.
• Check overgrazing and shifting cultivation.
• Contour bunding, Countour terracing, regulated forestry, controlled grazing, cover cropping, mixed farming, crop rotation.
• Prevent gully erosion through check dams.
• Uncultivable lands be converted into pastures for grazing.
• Stabilize sand dunes in arid areas.
• Central Soil Conservation zone set up for this.

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[[kegy106.pdf]] - Soils

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[[kegy105.pdf]] - Natural Vegetation

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